Celebrate Life

This past weekend we attended a celebration of life for a dear friend.

And a celebration of life it truly was.

When my mother passed away, we celebrated her life too.

So I started thinking, how can we celebrate our own lives before others get to celebrate us. Here’s how you can celebrate life while you are still on this side:

1. Love the life you are living.

2. Be okay with things not working out.

3. Celebrate the wins, all of them, from awards, to marriages, to catching the bugs on the food before you eat it.

4. Surround yourself with people who love you

5. Surround yourself with people who lovingly laugh at you

6. Laugh at yourself

7. Be present

8. Give presents

9. Be thankful for presents

10. Do good things for others

11. Do good things for yourself

12. Don’t expect anything from anyone else

13. Accept challenges

14. Laugh every day that something funny happens.

15. Cry, don’t hold back.

16. Use nicknames.

17. Give hugs

18. High five a stranger, a child, an elderly person

19. Dance wildly

20. Hum in the shower and loudly sing the parts you know

21. Say you are sorry

22. Accept their apology.

23. Stand barefoot outside.

24. Pet a dog or a cat, perhaps a bunny, maybe a donkey.

25. Hug a tree.

26. Exercise your body, your heart and your mind.

27. Eat the treat.

28. Decorate your home, your body, your calendar

29. Learn a cheesy joke and tell it often

30. Take a road trip, take lots of them.

Add to this list all the ways that help you celebrate life so that one day, others will truly celebrate you too. Every one of these things is simple and can provide great stories, lessons and joy.